M&amp;A activity remains rampant, and this week we start with a tie-up that would rank among the biggest deals of all time: AstraZeneca and US rival Bristol Myers Squibb. Julian Hofmann discusses the merits of the mooted $400bn deal, the drawbacks and why investors’ response to the rumour has been bleak. We then turn to what could be the greatest disrupter humans have seen for decades: the rise of AI and what it means for the jobs market. As speculation runs rampant as to how many roles could be lost, Hugh Moorhead is in the studio to curb some of those concerns. Hugh explains what’s actually going on, which companies might stand to benefit, which might not, and how investors should respond. Finally, Mark Robinson puts medical device maker Smith &amp; Nephew under the microscope after its half-year figures suggest its long-awaited rebound hasn’t quite arrived. But with an activist lurking on the shareholder register, could better times be on the way? Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 1:20 AstraZeneca 15:43 AI&#x27;s impact on the jobs market and what this means for investors 30:23 Smith &amp; Nephew Listen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTube Investors&#x27; Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities. Investors&#x27; Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The AI jobs crunch, medical stocks and AstraZeneca: Companies and Markets Show

Investors' Chronicle

This week, with takeover activity still rampant on the UK market, we look at one possible UK-US tie-up that would rank among the biggest M&A deals of all time. We refer, of course, to AstraZeneca's rumoured interest in US rival Bristol-Myers Squibb. Julian Hoffman is here to talk about the potential merits of a mooted $400 billion deal, the potential drawbacks as well, and why investors responding to these rumours have already given AstraZeneca the thumbs down.

After that, an even weightier topic, are we on the brink of an employment revolution? Revolution may be an optimistic way of putting it because the big fear at the moment is, of course, that the rise of artificial intelligence will put many people out of work and reshape economies accordingly. Hugh Moorhead will discuss how we can spot the signs of this big shift, look at the evidence that's been assembled so far, and consider the best ways to respond. Lastly, we'll put medical device maker Smith & Nephew under the microscope.

Its half-year figures published this week suggest a long-awaited rebound isn't here quite yet, but with an activist lurking on the shareholder register could better times be on the way. Mark Robinson will take a look for us later on. We are going to start, though, with a bit of potential M&A activity. I say potential because neither company in question has confirmed the rumours that were reported in the FT this week.

The FT said that AstraZeneca was looking to buy Bristol-Myers Squibb merger, take over, call it what you will. Julian, why don't we start by outlining what we do and don't know about the deal? Because the details are fairly thin on the ground in the absence of confirmation. Yes, that's true.

The AI jobs crunch, medical stocks and AstraZeneca: Companies and Markets Show

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

The AI jobs crunch, medical stocks and AstraZeneca: Companies and Markets Show

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.